Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that Rome’s unemployment rate decreased in August. 

Additionally, Rome saw a monthly increase in jobs and a monthly decrease in initial claims in August. 

“It is very promising that we continue to see the unemployment rate drop month after month, while the job market gets stronger, evoking positive news for Georgia’s economy,” said Commissioner of Labor Mark Butler. “The state as a whole is leading the nation in competitive unemployment rates, coming in at 7^th lowest.”

In Rome, the unemployment rate decreased 2.4 percentage points in August, reaching 4.7 percent. A year ago, the rate was 3.8 percent.

The labor force decreased in August by 1,278 and ended the month with 43,035. That number is down 709 when compared to August of 2019. 

Rome finished the month with 41,013 employed residents.  That number decreased by 154 over the month and is down by 1,049 when compared to the same time a year ago. 

Rome ended August with 41,900. jobs. That number increased by 400 from July to August but was up by 100 when compared to this time last year. 

The number of unemployment claims went down by 51 percent in August. When compared to last August, claims were up by about 753 percent. 

Employ Georgia, the GDOL’s online job listing service at employgeorgia.com showed about 658 active job postings in metro Rome for August.